Seal-lock.



No. 658,451. Patented Sept. 25,1900.

J. D. C. KNAPP.

SEAL LOCK.

(Application led Har. 27:, 1900.) (No Model.)

` YUnrrnn STATES llln'frnrgir Enron.-

vJOHN D. O. KNAPP, OF MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA SEAL-LOC K.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 658,451, dated September 25, 1900.

Application tiled March 27, 1900. Serial No. 10,318. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern:

Beit known that I, JOHN D. O. KNAPP, a' citizen of the United States, residing at Minneapolis, in the county of Hennepin and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Seal-Locks; and I do hereby declare the following to be afull, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention has for its object to simplify and otherwise improve the construction of so-called seal-locks for freight-car doors; and to this end it consists of the novel devices and combinations of devices hereinafter described, and defined in the claims.

The invention in its preferred form is illustrated in the accompanying drawings,wherein like characters indicate like parts throughout the several views.

Figure l is a view in side elevation showing my improved seal-lock applied in Working position. Fig. 2 is a View corresponding to Fig. l, but illustrating the manner in which the sealing-block is broken by the opening movement of the hasp-hooker lock. Fig. 3 is an inner side elevation of the hasp removed from the door. Fig. 4 shows the parts illustrated in Fig. l, partly in plan and partly in horizontal section. Fig. 5 is a vertical section on the line c5 m6 of Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a view corresponding to Fig. 5, but showing the sealing-block as removed and the detent as forced into its seat; and Fig. 7 is a plan View showing the back of the sealing-block.

The numeral l indicates a portion ofacar, and the numeral 2 indicates a portion of a car-door, both of ordinary construction.

The hasp-plate a is either of malleable or Wrought iron construction, and preferably the former. At one end it is secured to the cardoor 2 by a suitable staple 3, and at its free end it is formed with a pair ot longitudinallyextended and vertically-spaced staplepassages ct, through one or the other of which a projecting lock-staple 4, which is suitably secured on the car-body l, is adapted to be passed, as shown in Figs. l, 2, and 4. A lockpiece l) is pivoted to the intermediate portion of the hasp-plate a, as shown at ZY, and at its free end the said lockpiece is provided With reversely-projected hook-pieces b2, that are preferably turned on the arc of a circle struck.k from the center of the pivot b and intersecty ing the central portions of the passages ct. At their extreme ends the staple-hooks b2 are ladapted to be passed through the staple 4 after the said staple has been passed'through one of the passages a. The lock or hasphook should of course be arranged to engage the staple 4 by downward movement, so that it will be held oy gravity,even though the de- -vice is not sealed, and the double arrangement of the passages a' and hooks b2 makes this possible regardless of which side upA the hasp-plate is turned. vIt will be understood that this is important, for the reason that if the hasp-plate Were to be applied to a door mounted to open by sliding movement in a reverse direction from that indicated in the drawings the said hasp-plate would necessarily be turned upside down. Obviously this hasp-plate and hook Work the same either side up. When the lock is sealed, a fragile or brittle sealing block or piece is directly engaged lvvith the base portion b3 of the lock-hook h and engages the same in such manner that the said lock-hook cannot be moved Without breaking the said sealing-block. The sealing block or piece is preferably constructed from a composition of clay and other materials baked hard and brittle; but it will of course be understood that glass or any other suitable material may be employed. The sealingblock as preferably constructed is in the form of a thin and approximately-square plate f, having a marginal iange or reduced portion f and a central recess or detent-seatfz. The anged edges f' of the sealing-block f tit corresponding seats formed in a pair of parallel keeper-anges a2 on the hasp a. sealing-blockf is positioned as shown in Figs. l and 4, its forward flange f (its a correspondingly-iormedledge or seat b3 at the base of the lock-hook b, and the sealing-block being locked and held in the position indicated prevents movement of the said locking-hook b in either direction, and hence holds the same in its locked or locking position. Y

The sealing-block f is locked in its operative position above indicated by a springpressed detent c which Works through a seat a3 in the back of the hasp-plate a and engages When the IOO . or soldered to tightly close the pocket.

into the detent-seat f2 rof the said sealingblock. On the back of the hasp-plate a, just 'outward of the passage a3, is an outwardly `Will be cast projecting as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 4. After the detent g has been placed in workingposition, together with its spring g and preferably, also, a spacing-block g2, the flanged ends a5 are bentdown, as shown by full lines in Fig. 5, and are there brazgd T e detent gps preferably constructed is stamped from sheet metal or steel and has a marginal ange gf,` which prevents the spring gf from forcing it through the seat cts in the haspplate a. The spacing-block g2, while not absolutely` necessary, is very desirable, forV the reason that it limits the inward movementof said detent g, as shown 'in Fig. 6, and thus prevents the said detent from being forced out of its seat a3.

As is obvious, to apply the sealing-block]` in `working position to hold the hasp-hook locked it is only necessary after inserting the said block into the keeper-guides o? to press inward on the spring-pressed detent g, so as to pass the sealing-block over the same and into a position in which its detent-seat f2 registers with the said detent g, whereupon the said detent will spring into the said detentseat. When the parts are thus interlocked, the sealing piece or block cuts o access to the detent, so thatthe said detent cannot be released, and hence the lock-hook b cannot bemoved as long as the said sealing-block is unbroken.

The sealing-block may be quite easily broken by forcing the locking-hook into an open position, as indicated in Fig. 2. Under this movement of the locking-hook the brittle sealing-block is acted upon by the inturned base portion of the hook and is put under strain edgewise, so that the sealing-block is p crushed into small particles.

By applying the strain to the sealing-block edgewise thereofor in the plane in which it is extended a sealing-piece of given strength will resist to the maxim-um a force tending to crush or break it and when it gives away will go to pieces all at once. On the other hand, if the force were to be applied to the "sealing-block in the direction of its smallest put. together again and replaced in the seal.` Hence the advantage incident to my arrange,

It will of course beunderstood that the device above described'is capable of consid-` jerable modification within the scope ofmy invention.

. ters Patentof the United States, is as follows:

1. The combination` with a hasp or supporting plate, of the pivoted lock-hook having a transversely-extended base, a fragile sealingposition, aseat or keeper holding said seal-` within its seat or keeper and against the base the plane of movement offsaid lock-hook and is adapted to be crushed byv compression caused by the movement of 'said hookgfrom its operative or locking position substantially as described.

lock-hook b having the base end W, of the keeper-guides a?, the spring-pressed detent g working through said hasp, and the fragile sealing-block j having the detent-`seat f2, which detent g engages said seat f2 to hold said sealing-block, and which sealing-block in presence of two witnesses.

JOI-IN D. C. KNAPP.

Witnesses:

M. M. MCGRARY,

dimensions it would be much more easily F. D. MERCHANT.

piece directly engaging said base end of the lock-hook to hold said hook` inan 'operative ing-piece against lateraldisplacement,anda detent normally holding said sealingfblock of said hook, which` sealing-block extends in` 2. The combination with a hasp of a pivotedl passage a3, of the spring-pressed detent g,.

with the detent-seat f2 engaged bysaid `dey tent g, said sealing-block engaging the' basel by the opening movement thereof, substan-` ment of the seal-breaking device is evident.

W hat I claim, and desire to secureby Letengages the base b3 of said hook b to lock the hook b having the base end b3 and one or In testimony whereof I aix my signature 

